Membranous pore

Phase Inversion (Solution Precipitation). Phase inversion, also known as solution precipitation or polymer precipitation, is the most important asymmetric membrane preparation method. In this process, a clear polymer solution is precipitated into two phases a soHd polymer-rich phase that forms the matrix of the membrane, and a Hquid polymer-poor phase that forms the membrane pores. If precipitation is rapid, the pore-forming Hquid droplets tend to be small and the membranes formed are markedly asymmetric. If precipitation is slow, the pore-forming Hquid droplets tend to agglomerate while the casting solution is stiU fluid, so that the final pores are relatively large and the membrane stmcture is more symmetrical. Polymer precipitation from a solution can be achieved in several ways, such as cooling, solvent evaporation, precipitation by immersion in water, or imbibition of... 

Interfacial polymerization membranes are less appHcable to gas separation because of the water swollen hydrogel that fills the pores of the support membrane. In reverse osmosis, this layer is highly water swollen and offers Httle resistance to water flow, but when the membrane is dried and used in gas separations the gel becomes a rigid glass with very low gas permeabiUty. This glassy polymer fills the membrane pores and, as a result, defect-free interfacial composite membranes usually have low gas fluxes, although their selectivities can be good. 

Most commercially available RO membranes fall into one of two categories asymmetric membranes containing one polymer, or thin-fHm composite membranes consisting of two or more polymer layers. Asymmetric RO membranes have a thin ( 100 nm) permselective skin layer supported on a more porous sublayer of the same polymer. The dense skin layer determines the fluxes and selectivities of these membranes whereas the porous sublayer serves only as a mechanical support for the skin layer and has Httle effect on the membrane separation properties. Asymmetric membranes are most commonly formed by a phase inversion (polymer precipitation) process (16). In this process, a polymer solution is precipitated into a polymer-rich soHd phase that forms the membrane and a polymer-poor Hquid phase that forms the membrane pores or void spaces. 

In the presence of fine coUoids or suspended solids, the membrane pores may also become plugged. 

B measure of solute—membrane pore waU interaction force l ... 

If the solute size is approximately the (apparent) membrane-pore size, it interferes with the pore dimensions. The solute concentration in the permeate first increases, then decreases with time. The point of maximum interference is further characterized as a minimum flux. Figure 4 is a plot of retention and flux versus molecular weight. It shows the minimum flux at ca 60—90% retention. 

This deposit is composed of suspended particles similar to conventional filter cakes, and more importantly, a slime that forms as retained solutes exceed their solubility. The gel concentration 6 is a function of the feed composition and the membrane-pore size. The gel usually has a much lower hydrauHc permeabihty and smaller apparent pore size than the underlying membrane (27). The gel layer and the concentration gradient between the gel layer and the bulk concentration are called the gel-polarization layer. 

Dissolved fouling material may pass into the membrane pores. Reprecipitation upon rinsing must be avoided. Membrane-swelling agents, such as hypochlorites, flushout material which may be lodged in the pores. 

The individual membrane filtration processes are defined chiefly by pore size although there is some overlap. The smallest membrane pore size is used in reverse osmosis (0.0005—0.002 microns), followed by nanofiltration (0.001—0.01 microns), ultrafHtration (0.002—0.1 microns), and microfiltration (0.1—1.0 microns). Electro dialysis uses electric current to transport ionic species across a membrane. Micro- and ultrafHtration rely on pore size for material separation, reverse osmosis on pore size and diffusion, and electro dialysis on diffusion. Separation efficiency does not reach 100% for any of these membrane processes. For example, when used to desalinate—soften water for industrial processes, the concentrated salt stream (reject) from reverse osmosis can be 20% of the total flow. These concentrated, yet stiH dilute streams, may require additional treatment or special disposal methods. 

FIGt 22-48 Transport mechanisms for separation membranes a) Viscous flow, used in UF and MF. No separation achieved in RO, NF, ED, GAS, or PY (h) Knudsen flow used in some gas membranes. Pore diameter < mean free path, (c) Ultramicroporoiis membrane—precise pore diameter used in gas separation, (d) Solution-diffusion used in gas, RO, PY Molecule dissolves in the membrane and diffuses through. Not shown Electro-dialysis membranes and metallic membranes for hydrogen. 

Second, most membrane materials adsorb proteins. Worse, the adsorption is membrane-material specific and is dependent on concentration, pH, ionic strength, temperature, and so on. Adsorption has two consequences it changes the membrane pore size because solutes are adsorbed near and in membrane pores and it removes protein from the permeate by adsorption in addition to that removed by sieving. Porter (op. cit., p. 160) gives an illustrative table for adsorption of Cytochrome C on materials used for UF membranes, with values ranging from 1 to 25 percent. Because of the adsorption effects, membranes are characterized only when clean. Fouling has a dramatic effect on membrane retention, as is explained in its own section below. 

The factors to consider in the selection of cross-flow filtration include the cross-flow velocity, the driving pressure, the separation characteristics of the membrane (permeability and pore size), size of particulates relative to the membrane pore dimensions, and the hydrodynamic conditions within the flow module. Again, since particle-particle and particle-membrane interactions are key, broth conditioning (ionic strength, pH, etc.) may be necessary to optimize performance. 

Usually they are employed as porous pellets in a packed bed. Some exceptions are platinum for the oxidation of ammonia, which is in the form of several layers of fine-mesh wire gauze, and catalysts deposited on membranes. Pore surfaces can be several hundred mVg and pore diameters of the order of 100 A. The entire structure may be or catalytic material (silica or alumina, for instance, sometimes exert catalytic properties) or an active ingredient may be deposited on a porous refractory carrier as a thin film. In such cases the mass of expensive catalytic material, such as Pt or Pd, may be only a fraction of 1 percent. 

Proteolysis of this precursor yields the active form, aerolysiu, which is responsible for the pathogenic effects of the bacterium in deep wound infectious and diarrheal diseases. Like hemolysin, aerolysiu monomers associate to form heptameric membrane pores. The three /3-strands that contribute to the formation of the heptameric pore are shown in red. The N-terminal domain (residues 1-80, yellow) is a small lobe that protrudes from the rest of the protein. 

As RO membranes become looser their salt rejection falls (see Section 31.8.1). Eventually a point is reached at which there is no rejection of salts, but the membrane still rejects particulates, colloids and very large molecules. The membrane pore size can be tailored to a nominal molecular weight cut-off. The resulting filtering process is called ultra-filtration. 

Hyperfiltration (Reverse Osmosis) is a form of membrane distillation or desalination (desalting) operating with membrane pore sizes of perhaps 1 to 10 Angstrom units. The various individual RO component technologies have improved tremendously over the last 20 to 25 years, and resistance to fouling and permeate output rates have benefited. Nevertheless, all RO plants remain susceptible to the risk of fouling, and adequate pretreatment and operation is essential to minimize this problem. 

Another method to synthesize hollow nanocapsules involves the use of nanoparticle templates as the core, growing a shell around them, then subsequently removing the core by dissolution [30-32]. Although this approach is reminiscent of the sacrificial core method, the nanoparticles are first trapped and aligned in membrane pores by vacuum filtration rather than coated while in aqueous solution. The nanoparticles are employed as templates for polymer nucleation and growth Polymerization of a conducting polymer around the nanoparticles results in polymer-coated particles and, following dissolution of the core particles, hollow polymer nanocapsules are obtained. 

Molecular sieving effect of the membrane has been evidenced using a mixture of two isomers (i.e. no Knudsen separation can be anticipated), n-hexane and 2-2 dimethylbutane (respective kinetic diameters 0.43 and 0.62 nm). Figure 10 shows the permeate contains almost only the linear species, due to the sieving effect of the zeolite membrane (pore size ca 0.55 nm). This last result also underlines that the present zeolite membrane is almost defect-fi ee. 

KDHRF A homologous restriction factor binds to C8 65KDHRF A homologous restriction factor, also known as C8 binding protein interferes with cell membrane pore-formation by C5b-C8 complex Kcat Catalytic constant a measure of the catalytic potential of an enzyme Ka Equilibrium dissociation constant kD Kilodalton Kd Dissociation constant KD Kallidin... 

Solute Flux Solute partitioning between the upstream polarization layer and the solvent-filled membrane pores can be modeled by considering a spherical solute and a cylindrical pore. The equilibrium partition coefficient 0 (pore/bulk concentration ratio) for steric exclusion (no long-range ionic or other interactions) can be written as... 

Bubble Point Large areas of microfiltration membrane can be tested and verified by a bubble test. Pores of the membrane are filled with liquid, then a gas is forced against the face of the membrane. The Young-Laplace equation, AF = (4y cos Q)/d, relates the pressure required to force a bubble through a pore to its radius, and the interfacial surface tension between the penetrating gas and the liquid in the membrane pore, y is the surface tension (N/m), d is the pore diameter (m), and P is transmembrane pressure (Pa). 0 is the liquid-solid contact angle. For a fluid wetting the membrane perfectly, cos 0 = 1. 

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